Psalms 116

This Psalm contains a solemn thanksgiving to God for a glorious deliverance from grievous and dangerous calamities, as also from great perplexities and terrors of mind arising from the sense of Gods displeasure.

I Love the LORD, because he has heard my voice, and my supplications.

Because he has inclined his ear unto me, therefore will I call upon him as long as I live Heb. in my days, as long as I have a day to live, as this phrase is used a Kings 20. 19. Isa. 39. 8. Comp. Iob 27. 6..

The sorrows of death Dangerous and deadly calamities, as bitter as death. Or, the cords of death. compassed me, and the pains of hell Or, of the grave, or, of death, either killing pains: or, such agonies and horrors as dying persons use to feel within themselves. gat hold upon me Heb. found me, i. e. surprised me. Having been long pursuing me, at last they overtook me and seized upon me, and I gave up my self for lost.: I found trouble and sorrow.

Then called I upon the Name of the LORD: O LORD, I beseech thee, deliver my soul.

Gracious is the LORD This he mentions either, 1. as that which he found by experience in answer to his prayers: or, 2. as the argument by which he encouraged himself to pray., and righteous Therefore he will maintain me and my just cause against my unrighteous oppressors, and perform his promises, and save those who faithfully serve him and put their trust in him.: yea, our God is merciful.

The LORD preserveth the simple Sincere and plain-hearted persons, who dare not use those frauds and crasty and wicked artifices in saving themselves or destroying their enemies, but wait upon God with honest hearts in his way and for his time of deliverance. Which was the case of David, who, though he had the prospect and promise of the Kingdom, yet would not make haste to it by indirect courses, as by cutting off Saul, when he had great provocation and fair opportunity to do it: of which see 1 Sam. 24. & 26. Such persons he calls simple or foolish, as this word is commonly rendred, not because they are really so, but because the world esteems them so.: I was brought low, and he helped me.

Return unto thy rest Unto that tranquillity of mind and cheerful confidence in Gods promises and providence, which thou didst once enjoy., O my soul, for the LORD has dealt bountifully with thee.

For thou hast delivered my soul My self. from death, mine eyes from tears, and my feet from falling To wit, into mischief and the pit of destruction..

I will walk before the LORD Or, I shall walk, &c. This is either, 1. the Psalmists promise to God in requital of the favour last mentioned, I will therefore please God, as this phrase is used Gen. 5. 24. comp. with Heb. 11. 5. Gen. 17. 1. I will devote my self to the worship and service of God. Or, 2. his thankful acknowledgment of Gods further favour. Though I be now banished from the place of thy presence and worship, yet I assure my self that I shall be restored to it, and shall spend my days in thy house and service, which is the one thing that I desired above all other things, Psal. 27. 4. in the land of the living Amongst living men in this world. See on Psal. 27. 13..

I believed To wit, Gods promise of deliverance and of the Kingdom made to me by Samuel, which I was confident he would perform in spight of discouragements and difficulties., therefore have I spoken So these words are translated, as by others, so by the Apostle, 2 Cor. 4. 13. I have spoken, either 1. what I have now said, v. 9. or 2. what I have uttered to others concerning Gods promises made to me. Which I was not ashamed nor afraid to publish when I had occasion, because I was fully persuaded that God would make them good.: I was greatly afflicted Or, when I was, &c. or, although I was, &c. such particles being very frequently understood. The sense is, And this I did even in the midst of many and sore afflictions..

I said Yet once I confess I spake very unadvisedly. in my haste Through hastiness and precipitation of my mind, for want of due consideration, as the same phrase is used, Psal. 31. 22. Or, in my terror or amazement, when I was discomposed and distracted with the greatness of my troubles., All men are liars The sense is either, 1. All men, yea even my former friends and companions, prove deceitful and perfidious, all humane help faileth me; so that my case is desperate, if God do not help me. Or, 2. All men, Gods own Prophets not excepted, are liable to mistakes by the condition of their nature, as they are men, and therefore may easily deceive others; and this might be the case of Samuel in his promise of the Kingdom to me. Thus he questions the truth of Gods promises, yet so as he does not strike directly at God, but only reflects upon the instrument..

What shall I render unto the LORD, for all his benefits towards me Yet notwithstanding all my dangers and my distrust of God too, God has conferred so many and great blessings upon me, that I can never make sufficient returns to him for them.?

I will take the cup of salvation I will offer the sacrifice of thanksgiving to God, as this phrase seems to be explained below, v. 17. where the latter clause of the verse is the same with that which here follows. The phrase is taken from the common practice of the Jews in their Thank-offerings, in which a Feast was made of the remainders of the Sacrifices, and the Offerers, together with the Priests, did eat and drink before the Lord, and amongst other Rites, the Master of the Feast took a cup of wine into his hand, and solemnly blessed God for it and for the mercy which was then acknowledged, and then gave it to all the guests, who drunk successively of it. See 1 Chron. 16. 2, 3. To which custom it is supposed that our blessed Saviour alludes in the institution of the Cup, which also is called the Cup of blessing, 1 Cor. 10. 16. which is in effect the same with the Cup of salvation. This Metaphor of a Cup is used both of afflictions, as Psal. 11. 6. & 75. 9. and of comforts, as Psal. 23. 5. Ier. 16. 8., and call upon the Name of the Lord Or, publish or preach in or of the name of the Lord, i. e. his gracious nature and the great things which he has done for me. For he speaks of praise rather than of prayer, as appears both from the former clause, and by comparing v. 17..

I will pay my vows The praises and sacrifices which I vowed to God in the time of my distress. unto the LORD, now in the presence of all his people That they who heard my vows, or understood them by the report of others, might be witnesses of my payment of them, and not be scandalized by my unfaithfulness in that matter..

Precious in the sight of the LORD, is the death He sets an high price upon it, he will not readily grant it to those that greedily seek it; and if any son of violence procure it, he will make him pay very dearly for it; and when the Saints suffer it for Gods sake, as they frequently do, it is a most acceptable Sacrifice to God, and highly esteemed by him. Thus, the blood of Gods people is said to be precious in his sight, Psal. 72. 14. And, in the same sense, the life of a man is said to be precious in his eyes who spareth and preserveth it, as 1 Sam. 26. 21. 2 Kings 1. 13. Gods people are precious in his eyes, both living and dying, for whether they live, they live unto the Lord, or whether they die, they die unto the Lord, Rom. 14. 8. of his saints.

O LORD, truly I am thy servant This is either, 1. an argument used in prayer, It becometh thee to protect and save thy own servants, as every good master does: or rather, 2. a thankful acknowledgment of his great obligations to God, whereby he was in duty bound, to be the Lords faithful and perpetual servant. For this suits best with the context., I am thy servant, and the son of thy handmaid Either, 1. the son of a mother who was devoted and did devote me to thy serviet. Or, 2. like one born in thy house of one of thy servants, and so thine by a most strict and double obligation.: thou hast loosed my bonds Thou hast rescued me from mine enemies, whose captive and vassal I was, and therefore hast a just right and title to me and to my service..

I will offer to thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and will call upon the Name of the LORD.

I will pay my vows unto the LORD, now in the presence of all his people And as I said before, so I now repeat my promise, for the greater assurance, and to lay the stricter obligation upon my self..

In the courts of the LORD's house, in the midst of thee, O Jerusalem. Praise ye the LORD.